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In life, we all have the times when we are home bound. It may be an accident that has forced us to stay at home and rest, a retirement that has bound us indoors or a kid that is just too much for a working mom, but the phase sure catches us all. And you know what, I just hate it! Unless there is fun stuff to do of course… or even a home-bound earning opportunity (yes, I especially love those ‘hold my pie and eat it too’ opportunities).

The few homemakers that I know actually don’t even have time to just relax and put their feet up, but I do know that there a lot of others out there too – the ones that are almost always plonked on their recliners with their feet up and with the T.V remote in their hands for lack of better things to do.

This article offers insight into how to fill up your free home time more productively than watching daily soaps on television. In fact, some of these 6 super-fun activities might even be a start of a great home-bound career or an income earning opportunity. So why not find yourself one or two of the activities that match your lifestyle, your interests or your resources and get started.

Activity 1: Pick Up A
Hobby Such As Knitting / Crocheting

Try Fun Hobbies Like Knitting and Crocheting

Knitting, crocheting, quilting, pick up any hobby of your
choice and interest. Not only does it keep you occupied for hours, but you will
find your hours on the Internet, looking up interesting patterns and
‘how-to-make’ videos just as fun and exciting. Not to mention the added bonus
of making new like-minded friends when you start discussing your shared hobbies
in a group!

One of my dearest friend’s granny has turned her hobby into
an at-home income earning source. She is just so good with her knitting and
crocheting, and with her self advertising when she goes and knits down by the communal
kid’s play area, that people just walk up to her and ask her to take up their orders.She is especially good with kid’s woolens and she simply asks the clients to
get their own choice of yarn (thus making her own investment ZERO) and she
charges them Rs. 1 per gram she knits. Sounds like this is cheap. Nope! It is
just a fantastic marketing gimmick, for even the smallest of baby frocks eats
up about 250 to 300 grams worth of delicate yarn. Now you go do the math!

(Tip: If you are crochet/knitting beginner, you might find
this link useful – Yolanda is my favorite for her easy-to-understand teaching
skills: Yolando Soto's Youtube Channel)

Activity 2: Indoor Gardening: Get Your Hands Down And Dirty

At Home Herb Garden

You can go as fancy as you like or as contained as your home
space resources permit, maybe limited to a balcony or a kitchen window even,
but home gardening is definitely something worth trying if you have a green
thumb. Not only does it take up a considerable amount of your free time but it
is also considered therapeutic if you have gone through a depressing state of
mind or a life-altering event.

If you are limited to a balcony or kitchen you can maintain
an herb garden. Herbs are relatively easy to grow in small pots, and seeds are
available in just about any store. If you have a large back or front yard, you
can go all out for a vegetable garden, a flower patch or just about anything
you like.

My mom loves working in her garden and she often has so many
vegetables growing there, that she has an established distribution network
amongst her friends and family. Her summer flower patches (weather only permits
summer flower landscaping) are so beautiful that her pics are truly Facebook
share-worthy!

Activity 3: Learn An Art Form Such As Paper Quilling

The Craft of Paper Quilling

Art and craft forms such as painting or quilling are truly wonderful crafts. Such craft activities can help you loosen up your bound creativity and give wings to your imagination. A lot of your free time will just fly away once you are engrossed in these, not to mention that you will love showing off your creations on Instagram.

If you are really good at it, you can make it out to be an at-home business. Just make innovative paper quilling cards and other products and sell them online through your blog or social media profiles. Yes, there is some investment needed, especially when it comes to the equipment, materials and paper, but the investment is marginal when you see the phenomenal demand the products from this craft have. Try it out and see.

Activity 4: Make Handmade Soaps / Candles

Homemade Soaps and Candles Can Make You A Lot Of Money

If you are willing to invest more money into your 'at home make money cum use up free time' venture, you can learn the craft of candle and soap making. There are lots of Youtube videos on this topic as homemade soaps and candles are in high demand in the western world. Bizarrely for a few (for I can never quite understand why), people are actually willing to shell out higher sums of money for that homemade soap or scented candle of their choice.

You may need to invest a lot of hours into the learning process and you should be ready to waste a lot of raw materials during that time, but once you do get the hang of it, eBay might just become your new best friend.

Activity 5: Pet Sitting (If You Like Pets) Or Pet Walking

There Is A Lot Of Money Waiting To Be Made From Pet-Sitting Services

If you love pets, pet-sitting is the perfect 'time-whiling' 'income-earning' opportunity for you. All you need to do is put up adverts in Craigslist, local listings, your social media and just about any platform that you might find, and just wait for the calls till you get established. You can be rest assured that pet owners are completely loyal and will never change their pet-sitter or walker if they are happy with your service. So, serve them well and start counting your money and pet hugs and licks (forget the money, I'd do it just for this alone) from each time onwards.

You'd be surprised at just how much of your time those cute, cuddly and furry housemates of yours take up, if you've never had a pet before. If pet-sitting is a bit too much for you, you can try your hand at dog walking first. Starting with small baby steps may actually work in your favor because you can build your client list before you take the plunge and start!

Now, I am not one to go ooh and aah over cute and cuddly babies and toddlers, but if you are one and you have the requisite caring, nurturing and alert personality, you can even try your hand at baby sitting. But don't ask me for info on this eh, try the ever-reliable Google!

Activity 5: Freelancing Or Blogging For Fun And Money

Maintain A Blog And Then Monetize It Effectively

If you fancy your writing skills, you can start your own blog. What you want to blog about is completely up to you. You can keep your blog on one particular niche of your choice say 'homeschooling' or 'gardening' or you can keep it general, just like mine is. Once you have enough content on the blog and have a generated a loyal readership, you can find ways to monetize it. Follow my blog to know more, for an article on how to monetize your blog is coming soon. Watch this space for more info.

When it comes to freelancing, you just need a computer and a reliable Internet connection. You can bid for and pick up jobs not just in writing but also in other domains such as admin assistance, finance, accounting, etc. through portals such as freelancer.com, elance.com, guru.com, etc. The trick is to bid low and produce high quality work within the timelines first, build up a rating and then name your price once you are at the top.

My tip is to keep a close watch on Craigslist (USA and elsewhere) too, where you can pick up freelancing work from home jobs on the power of your resume, but be sure to build an online presence first, before you apply (in order to better your chances).

Activity 6: Start Your Own Personal Tuition Classes

Become a Tutor

With or without formal tutor training, you can start home tuition classes if you are education-wise qualified to teach (translated to: at least have a University degree or a Masters Degree). In India, setting up private tuition classes is very easy. Just advertise and promote amongst friends and family and wait for the inquires at the start of each school year. If you are good and can display results, word of mouth publicity will help you establish yourself and your classes will grow at the rate of knots. Be sure to stay honest and declare your taxes though (for I know too many people who are earning like crazy from this industry and hoarding up all the undeclared black money!).

If you stay in America or in any other country, there are several organizations that can help you get started. Just find any company that links tutors with students and voila, you are up and running. Google is always there to help. So, is Craigslist! (Oh ya, I am a firm follower of both).

Well, hope this article helps you with a better time management plan. Leave me some loving (or hating) comments if you have something to say. Follow my blog for more exciting articles. Adios amigos.

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About Me

I am prone to occasional bouts of
erratic, inexplicable and irrational behavior, a behavioral trait I have
picked up after years of following romantic comedies and reading
romance novels...

If you can keep up with my mood swings, I will be the friend that sticks around forever.. On a lighter note, I love music (anything with good lyrics), movies and catching up with all my friends from time to time...

Not many people know that I'm a sucker when it comes to falling for the
condemned, the lost, the un-salvageable, the critically demented and the
'that dude loves someone else' types of males...